Jerusalem

The Jebusite city captured by David to
be the capital of the United Kingdom
came to be called Jerusalem. Since the final compilers of the Old Testament
were Judean (ידוהי means Judean or Jewish depending
on the period) in most passages Jerusalem is thought of as the holy city, chosen
by God for his one true temple.

The lush green of the Kidron valley
today requires modern irrigation (McMath)Although
the most important city for the compilers of the Bible, Jerusalem is poorly situated,
at the edge of the "desert", surrounded by marginal land,
off the major trade routes, its only natural advantage is a perennial
spring (Kidron).

As their capital, David, Solomon and other kings enlarged and strengthened
the city. (The photo, right, shows excavated houses, close to
the presumed walls of the City of David, on the slopes above the
spring, McMath).

Water Supply

Since the spring was outside the walls it was
vulnerable in time of war. "Warren's Shaft" (above)
was partly a natural formation and partly dug by humans. A small
tunnel leads from the spring to the vertical shaft up which water
could be drawn and carried up the larger tunnel into the city.

Until Sennakerib's threatened invasion a partly covered channel
also took water by a level route around the base of the hill to the Siloam pool inside the
city. This channel served for
controlled irrigation of fields as well as to fill the reservoir.

Hezekiah, needing to secure his supply and to deny water to
the Assyrian invader, had an extension tunnel dug, about half
a kilometer through the rock directly to the Siloam pool. He then covered the
older channel.